Karen McKenney (b. 1991, UK)
Lives and works in Austin, TX
As a kid, Karen McKenney bounced through Air Force bases in Europe and the East Coast, and finally landed east of St. Louis. She graduated in 2013 from Northern Illinois University with a BFA focused in printmaking. Influenced by her military brat childhood, and a little impulsivity, she moved to Austin, TX after finishing school. For the last 9 years she has been bartending in downtown Austin. When she gave up alcohol in 2017 she finally started painting again. She loves art history, rap, backpacking in the desert, comedy, not being hungover, and dessert.
Now, 2020, Karen is making another move to fully immerse herself in painting beautiful, cartographic, abstracted realms. Born from soft oops paint and vivid acrylics, physical shapes and confident lines overlap to create space. Her paintings are a sort of decorated, while chaotic, presence on the wall. Chasing the high of quick textures and satisfying marks - she acknowledges euphoria (and glitter and goo!) and questions why so many believe the feeling can’t last in recovery. They glow with hope to inspire a more permanent pink cloud.
Email – karenmckenneyart@gmail.com
Follow - @karenmckenneyart